Do I Need a GPS Tracker if My Pet is Microchipped?

Your dog is playing in the yard and you turn around to grab the coffee mug. The next thing you know is that you are frantically looking for him everywhere. It’s unbelievable how it just takes a minute for your pet to disappear. We’ve all faced similar situations, probably more than once.

According to American Humane Organization,every year, approximately 10 million pets are lost in the United States of America and around 6 million of them end up in animal shelters. Sadly, only 15 percent of dogs and 2 percent of cats in the shelters, who are without IDs, are reunited with their owners.

Hence, it is critical to take precautionary measures to ensure that your beloved canine or feline friend is always safe and remains out of the harm’s way. Thanks to the advanced technology we have today, there are more thanone ways to ensure that your pet is safe.

How does a pet microchip work?

Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) or a microchip is just about the size of a grain of rice. Each microchip has a unique identifying serial number which is tied to a database that has your contact details.

The implantation of microchips is a simple procedure which is quick, safe and causes minimal discomfort to your pet. Think of it as having an ID. Once a microchip has been placed under the skin of your pet, there will always have a form of identification available just in case your pet wanders off.

Once your pet has been rescued, the people at the animal shelter or veterinarian’s office can simply use an RFID reader to locate you and reunite you with your pet.

Why should I get a GPS pet tracker?

When microchips are so useful, why is there is a need to get a GPS pet tracker? This is because microchips can’t show you the current location of your pet. So relying on a microchip would mean that until your pet has been found and taken to an animal shelter or a vet, you would not be able to do anything.

GPS tracking is a great option because GPS pet trackers are highly accurate and are designed to update the location information in real time.

The trackers communicate with multiple satellites to triangulate and determine the location. Once the location has been pin-pointed, the device uploads the specific coordinates to a server using a cellular network, which can then be accessed using a website on the computer or more simply, through a mobile phone app.

So, even when pets wander off, you can check exactly where they are. This not only reduces the recovery time but also gives you peace of mind. In addition to this, most trackers also allow you to create safe zones, so once your pet leaves these parameters, an alert is sent to your mobile device.

Do I need both?

It’s good to err on the side of caution and get both. This is because both methods serve different purposes. While microchips can help identify your pets, GPS pet trackers can help locate them.

Together, microchips and GPS pet trackers can provide all the important needed to aid the rescue process; ensuring that your pet returns home safe and sound.

Author:Erum Ansari is a public relations professional who specializes in technology comms. She is an avid reader, a travel enthusiast, and a self-proclaimed story-teller. Before joining the content team at Your Doctors Online, Erum was the PR manager at Hill & Knowlton Strategies and was handling communications and content strategy for a diverse portfolio of brands. She is also a new mom who is finding her way around motherhood.